Twen drew the string back carefully, conscious of his uncle standing behind him. With a twang, he let the arrow fly. It lodged in the throat of the grass-stuffed fox, and his uncle smiled.
"Good shot, Twen. Watch your fingers, though. They twiddled and pinched the nock slightly as you aimed." Reschar said, and the young archer nodded. He plucked the shaft from the target, and slid it into his quiver. His uncle declared it time to stop for the day, and they started to walk home. Twen had to jog to keep up with Reschar's longer strides, and the older elf slowed for him.
"Tomorrow we'll start on moving targets. I'm sure Jiishana would love to swing a target around for you. Especially if she could make it hit you a couple times." His uncle said, naming Twen's feisty younger cousin. They both laughed, but the boy had something else on his mind,
"Uncle, what happened to my parents?" Twen said suddenly, steeling himself for the answer. Ever since his friend Elladan had asked about his parents, the young elf had been restless. How come he lived with his aunt and uncle? All they had told him was that he had been brought from Lothlorien when he was but a baby, by Reschar's brother.
"Your parents..." Reschar trailed off, then stopped walking. He led Twen over to a bench and sat him down.
"I suppose it is time you knew... Twen, your parents are dead. Your mother died giving birth to you and your sister, and left the two of you to the care of her sister. Your father had been killed by Orcs some time before. The Lady of Lothlorien declared that you would be sent here, to us, and so my brother brought you." Reschar stopped, seeing the look on Twen's face, and stood.
"Come home when you're ready." He said, and walked away. Twen sat for awhile, thinking. His uncle had said that he had a sister in Lothlorien. She would still be there, wouldn't she? What if... what if he could find her? But he was too young to travel far from Rivendell, his aunt Laurdrey had told him so every time he had mentioned that he wished he could see something, like the woods of Lothlorien. Still...
"Twen?" Jiishana called from down the path. He decided he would think about this again later, when his pesky cousin wasn't around to annoy him.
*~*~*~*
"Comet? Where are you?" Her aunt Filamae walked into the garden where she was lying in the lush Lothlorien grass.
"Now what are you doing?" Filamae said, smiling.
"Watching the butterflies. If you wait long enough, they'll come real close." Cometashi Elmtall said softly, reaching out a slender hand to the red butterfly spiralling in the air. It perched on her finger for a moment, flicking its wings, but darted away when Filamae laughed gently, sitting beside her niece.
"You sound just like your mother." The older elf said, smiling at her. Comet propped herself up on one elbow, long midnight-coloured hair cascading over her shoulders, emerald eyes wistful.
"What was my mother like?" She asked. Filamae's eyes flickered with pain for a moment, then she smiled again.
"Cometwen was just like you. She loved coming down to greet the butterflies, especially in spring. Even when you and your brother were in her belly, she didn't stop coming down. I tried to stop her, but she slipped off when I wasn't looking. The day you were born, she came down for the last time..." There was that flicker of pain again, but Comet brushed it aside for a time. Her aunt had said something that had triggered her curiosity.
"My brother?" She asked, frowning. Filamae gasped quietly and put her hand on her heart.
"I wasn't meant to say anything! No, don't ask me again. You will be told when the time comes. Now come up, we have a surprise for you." The older elf stood and helped her niece to her feet, and they climbed back up to the treetop home.
*~*~*~*
"Good shot, Twen. Watch your fingers, though. They twiddled and pinched the nock slightly as you aimed." Reschar said, and the young archer nodded. He plucked the shaft from the target, and slid it into his quiver. His uncle declared it time to stop for the day, and they started to walk home. Twen had to jog to keep up with Reschar's longer strides, and the older elf slowed for him.
"Tomorrow we'll start on moving targets. I'm sure Jiishana would love to swing a target around for you. Especially if she could make it hit you a couple times." His uncle said, naming Twen's feisty younger cousin. They both laughed, but the boy had something else on his mind,
"Uncle, what happened to my parents?" Twen said suddenly, steeling himself for the answer. Ever since his friend Elladan had asked about his parents, the young elf had been restless. How come he lived with his aunt and uncle? All they had told him was that he had been brought from Lothlorien when he was but a baby, by Reschar's brother.
"Your parents..." Reschar trailed off, then stopped walking. He led Twen over to a bench and sat him down.
"I suppose it is time you knew... Twen, your parents are dead. Your mother died giving birth to you and your sister, and left the two of you to the care of her sister. Your father had been killed by Orcs some time before. The Lady of Lothlorien declared that you would be sent here, to us, and so my brother brought you." Reschar stopped, seeing the look on Twen's face, and stood.
"Come home when you're ready." He said, and walked away. Twen sat for awhile, thinking. His uncle had said that he had a sister in Lothlorien. She would still be there, wouldn't she? What if... what if he could find her? But he was too young to travel far from Rivendell, his aunt Laurdrey had told him so every time he had mentioned that he wished he could see something, like the woods of Lothlorien. Still...
"Twen?" Jiishana called from down the path. He decided he would think about this again later, when his pesky cousin wasn't around to annoy him.
*~*~*~*
"Comet? Where are you?" Her aunt Filamae walked into the garden where she was lying in the lush Lothlorien grass.
"Now what are you doing?" Filamae said, smiling.
"Watching the butterflies. If you wait long enough, they'll come real close." Cometashi Elmtall said softly, reaching out a slender hand to the red butterfly spiralling in the air. It perched on her finger for a moment, flicking its wings, but darted away when Filamae laughed gently, sitting beside her niece.
"You sound just like your mother." The older elf said, smiling at her. Comet propped herself up on one elbow, long midnight-coloured hair cascading over her shoulders, emerald eyes wistful.
"What was my mother like?" She asked. Filamae's eyes flickered with pain for a moment, then she smiled again.
"Cometwen was just like you. She loved coming down to greet the butterflies, especially in spring. Even when you and your brother were in her belly, she didn't stop coming down. I tried to stop her, but she slipped off when I wasn't looking. The day you were born, she came down for the last time..." There was that flicker of pain again, but Comet brushed it aside for a time. Her aunt had said something that had triggered her curiosity.
"My brother?" She asked, frowning. Filamae gasped quietly and put her hand on her heart.
"I wasn't meant to say anything! No, don't ask me again. You will be told when the time comes. Now come up, we have a surprise for you." The older elf stood and helped her niece to her feet, and they climbed back up to the treetop home.
*~*~*~*